Couples keep reaching for their phones while spending time together, and researchers warn the habit quietly feeds depression

Technology and the digital world might feel inescapable at times, given how integrated they’ve become in our daily lives. As a result, researchers have been interested in how digital behavior can impact interpersonal relationships.

The main topic of one study available on the National Library of Medicine website is phubbing. Phubbing combines the words “phone” and “snubbing” to create a word that means you’re basically snubbing somebody by being on your phone.

The introduction notes that when phubbing is reciprocated, meaning both people in the relationship are doing it, it tends to become reinforced as normal behavior. The researchers wanted to know how this behavior impacts the relationships it’s part of.

Phubbing makes others feel ignored

This might not be surprising, but the researchers found that phubbing makes people feel like they’re being ignored. The way it’s stated in the paper is: “Feeling ignored is particularly significant, as literature suggests that social exclusion resulting from phubbing can generate emotional distress and damage mental health, leading to feelings of isolation and anxiety.”

The paper also describes how that anxiety and isolation can lead the person experiencing them to phub more often, which sounds like a cycle. That cycle may add to relationship drama, and it could be brushed off as smartphone addiction rather than looked at more closely to see the reasons behind the behavior.

The study focused on phubbing as a behavior, including what fuels it and the effects it has on people, as well as its links to other behaviors like smartphone addiction and self-isolation.

Relationships are hurt by phubbing

Another article on ScienceDirect looked at how phubbing can impact relationships. According to its abstract, “Phubbing was found to indirectly impact depression through relationship satisfaction and ultimately life satisfaction. Given the ever-increasing use of cell phones to communicate between romantic partners, the present research offers insight into the process by which such use may impact relationship satisfaction and personal well-being.”

Some people have pushed back on screen-heavy habits in other areas too, with a return to analog options for music and entertainment.

Neither paper points to a single fix, and the first notes that more research is needed. What both describe is a pattern where phone use during time together leaves partners feeling ignored and less satisfied.

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